Systems for controlling the flow of fluids, such as compressed air, natural gas, oil, propane, or the like, are generally known in the art. These systems often include at least one control valve for controlling various flow parameters of the fluid. Typical control valves include a control element such as a valve plug, for example, movably disposed within the flow path for controlling the flow of the fluid. The position of such a control element can be controlled by a positioner via a pneumatic actuator such as a piston actuator or a diaphragm-based actuator, as is known in the art. Conventional positioners deliver pneumatic signals to the actuator to stroke the control element of the control valve between an open and closed position, for example. The speed at which a standard positioner can stroke the control valve, however, partly depends on the sizes of the actuator and the control valve. For example, larger actuators/control valves typically take longer to be stroked.
Therefore, such systems additionally employ one or more volume boosters located between the positioner and the actuator. The volume boosters are used to amplify the volume of the pneumatic signal sent from the positioner, thereby increasing the speed at which the actuator strokes the control element of the control valve. Conventional volume boosters are offered in varying capacities such that a specific volume booster can be installed into a control system to suit a specific application. If the application changes, the volume booster can be switched out for a different volume booster having a different capacity.